Fleda stayed her hand. "No, no—I'm superstitious." "Certainly I'm sure, with all the evidence I already have. That will finish her!" Owen declared.!

The ring of his question made his anger at Mona almost resemble for a minute an anger at Fleda; and this resemblance in turn caused our young lady to observe how handsome he looked when he spoke, for the first time in her hearing, with that degree of heat, and used, also for the first time, such a term as "perpetrated." In addition, his challenge rendered still more vivid to her the mere flimsiness of her own aid. "Yes, you've been perfect," she said. "You've had a most difficult part. You've had to show tact and patience, as well as firmness, with your mother, and you've strikingly shown them. It's I who, quite unintentionally, have deceived you. I haven't helped you at all to your remedy." "It's none of their business, is it?" was Owen's unexpected rejoinder. Fleda had already noted that no one so slow could ever have had such rapid transitions.

"Ah, really?" cried Fleda, achieving a radiance of which she was secretly proud. "How very exciting!" "Not a whisper, not a step, in all the eight days. Perhaps they don't know. Perhaps they're crouching for a leap." "I'm glad, then, it didn't arrive. Shouldn't you like him to go?" Fleda asked.